In terms of work ethic, it would be difficult to find a young player that puts in more time than Shahn Alston.
The 5-foot-10, 197-pound running back from Painesville, Ohio, is coming off a sophomore season in which he rushed for over 1,000 yards and 15 touchdowns.
But he’s not satisfied with that.
Alston is a 4-star recruit and is rated as one of the top 15 sophomores in the talent-rich state of Ohio. That status has earned him plenty of early scholarship opportunities.
Courtesy Shahn Alston
Entering his junior season, Alston holds offers from Auburn, Baylor, Cincinnati, Indiana, Louisville, Missouri, Purdue, Rutgers, USC, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
One offer that’s missing from that list is one that Alston would love to pick up: Penn State.
Despite having plenty of contact with PSU and its coaching staff, Alston is waiting patiently and hoping that his patience will be rewarded at the end of the month. On the 26th of July, Alston has been invited to a Penn State team barbeque in State College, which will be attended by many of Penn State’s 2025 commits along with certain players with 2026 offers.
“My relationship with Penn State really started to grow in January, I’d say,” Alston told Nittany Sports Now. “I visited them earlier this year and then I went there again for a spring practice. Me and Coach (Ja’Juan) Seider and Coach (Charles) Walker have really been in communication since June 15 and ever since then, they’ve been really consistent with me. Usually, every day we get a chance to talk so I’d say that in a short amount of time, my relationship with Penn State has really grown a lot.”
Although Alston has spoken with many coaches on Penn State’s staff, his main contact has been with running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider and believes he’d be an ideal coach for him.
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Ja’Juan Seider
“I’d describe Coach Seider as a real coach,” Alston said. He’s not someone that’s going to sugarcoat anything to me. He tells me exactly what I need to work on and tells me exactly what I need to hear. He doesn’t play the recruiting game and lie to you and then when you get on campus, tell you another story. No, Coach Seider is real and his message to me has been the same. The amount of running backs that he’s developed over the years has been amazing and has a track record of getting his players to the league. That’s what I’m looking for in a coach and I would be blessed if I would get the opportunity.”
Official Sophomore SZN RB Highlights
Stats❗️ (week 1-10)
-128 Carries, 1041 rushing yards 17 TDS,
8.1 YPC, 8 two point conversionhttps://t.co/6PLEKW6ApP@ZipsBacks @jmhecklinski @JSimmons_Miami @CoachNCole @CoachChadScott @Coach_Langs @CoachEBrooks @CoachTonyAlford…— Shahn Alston (@shahnalston3) December 1, 2023
So what feedback has Alston received from Penn State’s staff?
“They say that they like my physicality, my vision and my short area quickness,” Alston said. “I’ve been working on all of that this offseason and am looking forward to showcasing those things this upcoming season. I believe there’s a little camp before the cookout on the 26th so I’m looking forward to showing my abilities and earning an opportunity to play there.”
Being a player from Ohio, it’s not surprising that earning an offer from Penn State would rank highly on Alston’s priority list.
Courtesy Shahn Alston
“It’s Big Ten football,” he said. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted since I was a little kid. Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan State, Michigan, that’s all I’ve ever wanted to be and play at. So, for a chance to play in the Big Ten, especially with a proven program like Penn State, it would be a blessing. It’s close to home, three and a half, four hours away. I’d be blessed to receive an opportunity like that and definitely would be a top school of mine.”
Alston tells Nittany Sports Now that July 28, he’ll be attending a team barbeque at the University of Michigan. Also, some of the schools that have been in contact with him most recently are Ohio State, USC, Missouri, Purdue and Wisconsin.
